Bottle disposal rack



Sept. 18, 1945. ca. Fl ALBRECHT BOTTLE DISPOSAL RACK Filed Aug. 12, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l w w W m w u I 4L 0 m q 6 w W m @w a G m Q m m! N\ in Sept. 18, 1945. v G ALBRECHf 2,384,870

BOTTLE DI SPOSAL RACK Filed Aug. '12, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l llll Inventor 'zzmm F2717 071/ 2 j fizmaoiza W Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT IOLFFICE Gilmon F. Albrecht, Madison, Wis.

Application August 12, 1942, Serial No. 454,583

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in racks for collection and disposal of empty bottles, such as usually accumulate in soft drink establishments and other places where beverages are dispensed in bottles and the invention has for its primary object to provide a rack having a plurality of ch'utes in which the bottles may be deposited and stored in end to 'end relation, together with signaling means to indicate when each of the chutes is filled.

A still further object is to provide a bottle disposal and collecting rack of this character embodying means through the use of which any desired number of the racks may be connected to each other for convenient handling.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in performance, neat and attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wh'erein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view showing a group of the racks in connected relation.

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on a line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line 55 of Fi ure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates one of the racks generally which is preferably constructed of metal and substantially in the form of a tray which includes a back wall 6, top and bottom walls 1 and 8, respectively, and side walls 9, the front of the rack or tray being open, the tray being designed for support on the bottom 8 as will be clearly apparent from an inspection of Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

A plurality of partitions Ill are arranged in a vertical position in the rack, the partitions being disposed in spaced parallel relation with respect to each other to form a plurality of vertically extending compartments or chutes II. The partitions I0 are preferably in the form of relatively thin strips of material for the sake of economy.

Secured to the back and to each side of each of the chute or compartments are a plurality of leaf springs I2 of corrugated form adapted for frictional engagement with the sides of bottles l3 when the latter are deposited through an opening I4 in the top wall "I of the rack, the depositing of the successive bottles through the opening forcing the lowermost bottles downwardly toward the bottom wall 8 of the rack.

A signalling device is provided to indicate when each of the chutes or compartments is filled with bottles and comprises a signalling arm l5 pivoted as at IE to the upper end of the partitions In, one end of the signalling arm having a weighted flag I! formed thereon adapted to project upwardly through an opening H3 in the top wall '1, the other end of the signalling arm being pivotally attached to a rod l9 extending downwardly in the rear portion of the chute or compartment and having a treadle plate 20 pivotally attached at one end to the lower end of said rod and disposed in the path of the lowermost bottle placed in the chute or compartment H.

The fact that the arm I5 is pivoted off center with the weighted flag H at its longer end and the rod l9 attached to its shorter end is suflicient to counterbalance the weight of the rod IS, the short end of the arm I5, and the base 20 to cause the signal to normally occupy the position shown at the right hand side of Figure 4, when the rack is empty and when the bottles are inserted in the opening it in the top of the rack, the lowermost bottle, when moved to the bottom of the rack, will engage the plate 20 to actuate the signalling device to the position as shown at the left-hand side of Figure 4.

Each rack is provided with an opening 2| in its bottom wall 8 in a position adjacent the rear wall 6 and the top wall I is provided with a similar opening 22. The rear wall 6 at its upper end is also provided with an opening 23 adapted for the insertion of an interlocking h'ook 24 which projects forwardly from the top wall I of one rack for engagement in the opening 22 of an adjacent rack for detachably securing the racks together in connected relation as shown to advantage in Figure 4 of the drawings. Likewise the bottom wall 8 of each rack is provided with a forwardly projecting hook 25 adapted to enter the opening 2| of an adjacent rack to thus secure both the top and bottom edges of the racks together.

It will be apparent from an inspection of Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings that any desired number of the racks may be connected in the manner indicated for convenient handling thereof.

It is believed the details of construction, manner f operation and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation,

Having described 7 the invention, what is claimed as new-is:

A signalling device for bottle racks in which 

